1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door handle for a vehicle, and more particularly to a door handle for a vehicle that is provided with an operation button for unlocking a door of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known a door handle for a vehicle that has a door-unlocking button provided at one longitudinal end of the handle. Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) Nos. 63-37766 and 57-185862 disclose examples of the structure of such a door handle. A description will now be given of the door handle disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. 57-185862.
As shown in FIG. 9, a door handle 70 for a vehicle is designed such that while gripping a grip portion 72a, a passenger depresses a push button 74 against urging force of a spring 76.
As shown in FIG. 10, when the push button 74 is depressed from a position indicated by a solid line to a position indicted by a two-dot chain line, a bell crank 78 rotates in the clockwise direction (i.e., in the direction indicated by arrow Y) in FIG. 10 about a shaft 80 and reaches a position indicated by a two-dot chain line. With this operation, a rod 82 moves from a position indicated by a solid line to a position indicted by a two-dot chain line, so that the engagement between a door lock and a striker provided on a body side (both unillustrated) is canceled.
However, in the door handle 70, when the push button 74 is depressed as shown in FIG. 10, a shaft 84 connected to the push button 74 moves toward the inside of the door (i.e., the direction indicated by arrow X in FIG. 10). The stroke of the shaft 84 determines the rotational angle of the bell crank 78 and the amount by which the rod 82 is lowered.
Accordingly, it is necessary to maintain a large space for movement of the shaft 84 within the door at a location corresponding to the push button 74 and to provide a space for rotation of the bell crank 78. Therefore, when the conventional door handle 70 is employed, the door must have a large thickness at a location where the handle 70 is attached.